


Hard Liquor

by alphapyxidis



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25835008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphapyxidis/pseuds/alphapyxidis
Summary: A new investor gifts Pied Piper with a fancy bottle of absinthe and, obviously, Erlich suggests they open it immediately.And apparently, Gilfoyle can't always hold his liquor.
Relationships: Dinesh Chugtai/Bertram Gilfoyle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	Hard Liquor

**Author's Note:**

> CW: ALCOHOL, MENTION OF DRUGS
> 
> I haven't written fanfiction in 3 years and I'm not even sure I still know how to write anything that isn't an academic paper, but a Silicon Valley rewatch got me shipping Dinesh and Gilfoyle veeery hard, so naturally I HAD TO.  
> As always: no beta and hardly any revision, sorry.

It was another one of their highs, where they were momentarily millionaires, and the newest investor just sent the small team of coders a bottle of absinthe so they can celebrate.

Though they had a good guess about what "70%" meant, the label on the fancy bottle was written in a language none of them could understand. Around the neck of the bottle, there was a thread with a note that read:

> _We're very excited to be in business with a company we believe in so much. We hope you and your team enjoy this gift we have chosen specifically to match your uniqueness and open mindedness. May it bring out the best of yourselves._
> 
> _Best regards, B._

"Fucking rich people, right?" scoffed Richard.

"Everyone stay right here, I'll get the shot glasses." Erlich rushed to the kitchen.

"Hm. I've never tried absinthe before. I hope it really does have hallucinogenic properties." wondered Gilfoyle, finishing the beer in his hand.

"Wait. Hallucinogens? As in 'gives people hallucinations'?"

"Why the distress, Dinesh? Scared you will hallucinate you're writing good code for once?"

Before he could reply, Erlich was back in the living room with the glasses.

"Ok, listen up, you uncultured cheap beer drinkers. Absinthe is very classy and also very strong. Our bodies aren't used to this. I'd advise even the most experient man, like me, to be careful."

"Yeah… I'm sticking to Gilfoyle's hipster beer. I don't wanna start seeing gnomes and shit."

"You're drinking _my_ beer? Do that again and you'll wish you were seeing gnomes and not my fist going towards your face."

Dinesh rolled his eyes, not dignifying the fake anarchist with a verbal answer. He knew better than touching another bottle, though, and prepared himself mentally to allow that hellish green goblin liquid to enter his body.

Five full shot glasses were poured carefully, and Erlich called for each of them to pick one, raising his own to make a toast.

“To being a fucking millionaire!”

Dinesh stared at the small glass in his hands for a few seconds more, then downed it quickly, grimacing as the alcohol burned his throat.

For the next 30 minutes, he could feel his mind easing and his thoughts start to shift. From observing Jared being weird next to Richard for a good 10 minutes, to watching Richard touch Jared without flinching, to a heated discussion with Erlich about doing the dishes and almost winning it, to slumping down on the sofa next to Gilfoyle, who had one of his legs up the back pillows and the other on the floor. Dinesh looked at him, feeling oddly confident.

"Listen…” Gilfoyle stared directly at him, giving his full attention “If this all goes to shit, which we know it will, we should totally start a company together! I'm already used to your creepy stares and ridiculous insults anyway! Besides, you might not admit it, but I am a good coder. And so are you. It just makes sense."

Gilfoyle blinked at him and let out a soft, single laugh, not really seeming like he would say anything else. Looking around for clues about this behavior, Dinesh saw the absinthe bottle on the center table next to them, a little bit emptier than it should be if each of them only took one shot.

“Gilfoyle, how many drinks did you have?”

“Uh… 3? Maybe 4? I don’t- I don’t know, man. It just wasn’t kicking in.”

“Are you trying to die?”

“No…”

The lack of a comeback was more unsettling than refreshing. Did the alcohol damage his brain? Was he possessed by absinthe goblins? 

It looked like it was a little hard for him to think, so he blurted out his next words without bothering to.

"Y’know, Dinesh… you-you're actually pretty cool. And a decent coder. You are veeeery needy and annoying, but I like you." 

Dinesh's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm sorry, are you having a stroke? 'Cause none of that makes any fucking sense."

"What?" he said, not with his usual creepy, contained smile, but actually sincerely "I'm just saying. It's true. Wow, dude, this absinthe shit feels almost as good as weed."

Of course _._ Weed, beer, champagne, vodka, tequila, mushrooms… Gilfoyle had a version of himself for each of those. Apparently, he had one for absinthe too, and that version was terrifying - but also really funny.

Dinesh patted around the sofa for his phone to record it, but a gentle hand stopped his movements.

"Really… just-" Gilfoyle squeezed his hand "I guess… more than- more than you know."

Dinesh froze completely. Not even the magical properties of that amount of alcohol made his brain able to process Gilfoyle talking about feelings, having feelings, or even acknowledging the existence of feelings.

Gilfoyle swiftly shifted to a sitting position, throwing his leg down to move closer and cup Dinesh’s face, cold hands almost uncomfortable against warm cheeks. Dark eyes flickered to his lips with no inhibition as he tried not to do the same.

Dinesh didn't pull back. He didn't want to. The warm, heavily alcoholic breath coming from Gilfoyle was comforting and inviting, and he was drunk enough not to care about any consequences. All he wanted was to close that insistent gap between them, but the other man was quicker, locking their lips clumsily, not really in a comfortable position. Scared to break contact but sure of his movements, Dinesh carefully shifted so their lips would fit properly. They matched like a puzzle.

Neither of them dared to deepen the kiss. After almost a minute, the pair hesitantly parted, not really looking at each other directly.

“Yeah, uh... I think- maybe I should- I’m gonna go to bed.”

And just like that, Gilfoyle left, locking himself in his room, leaving Dinesh alone and completely dumbfounded. He looked around the living room and everyone else seemed to have missed the most bizarre event of his life in the incubator, as if two of their friends and housemates didn’t just kiss like two awkward middle schoolers. 

Was it even real?

Did he just hallucinate all this?

Afraid he was delusional and absolutely paranoid that he might never come back to normal from that state, as he read years ago that is a thing, Dinesh ran to his room, unnoticed, and laid on his bed with his clothes on, staring at the ceiling, opening and closing his eyes in search for another hallucination, but it was just him and the dark. After a few minutes of paranoia, he finally fell asleep.

The next morning started with a piercing headache and a dry mouth. Dinesh guided himself to the kitchen by touching the walls, but even though he could barely open his eyes, he realized he wasn't alone in the room.

"Richard?" 

"No." a low, bland voice replied.

" _Oh_. Good morning."

"Yeah."

Not expecting much more of the conversation and definitely not expecting any mention of what happened last night, Dinesh continued to touch his way around the kitchen, trying to get himself a glass of water. Gilfoyle watched, chewing on his cereal.

"You know," he started "I have seen you do a lot of dumb things. But blindly touching everything in a kitchen, the only room in a house that combines glass, knives, hot appliances and electricity, might be on the Top 5."

"Well," Dinesh sighed "why don't you help me then?"

"Because you're not a baby rat. Open your fucking eyes."

"But it _huuurts!_ " 

He winced. Even his own whine made his head throb.

"I was wrong. You are a baby, after all."

"Gilfoyle, just… get me a fucking glass of water. Please."

"Fine." he rolled his eyes, trying to convince himself he didn't really like taking care of Dinesh.

He filled a glass of water and handed it to Dinesh, who took three tries to grab it (maybe because Gilfoyle kept moving the cup to mess with him). Then, they fell silent. The only sounds were Dinesh occasionally sipping on his water, and Gilfoyle chewing his cereal. It wouldn't be a problem for them… if not for the events of the night before. But it didn't matter how awkward the silence could be, Dinesh would rather jump in a volcano than bring it up. Gilfoyle spoke first.

"I would like to address what happened between us last night. I was the one who made a move on you and as we were both intoxicated, perhaps you didn't really mean to let me kiss you. If that is the case, I apologize. I have also said some… things that I wish I hadn't, but as I live a life of no regrets, I do not apologize for that."

Dinesh temptively opened his eyes. It would hurt, but it was worth it.

“Wait. I wasn’t hallucinating?”

“You thought you were hallucinating?”

Gilfoyle laughed.

"Oh, wait a second. We’re missing the most important thing, here." he crossed his arms, pleased "You meant all that? You like me? And think I'm a decent coder?"

"Shut. The fuck. Up."

"Make me."

A hint of a smile appeared in the corner of Gilfoyle's lips as he, with a brisk step, got nose to nose with Dinesh, reaching for his nape before kissing him again. This time, their kiss was full of certainty, pride, sobriety. And definitely tongue. 

For a brief moment, Gilfoyle pulled back.

"Tell anyone I like your work and I'll obliterate you. Tell anyone about us messing around and… well, I don't really care about that."

_Fucking Gilfoyle._

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed!! I missed writing for fun and I hope I post more fanfiction soon and let me tell you... my notes are FULL of Dinesh/Gilfoyle ideas


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